Lee Pro 20 Furnace

[Rockchucker]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=645810

I browered my cousin's Lee 10 lb bottom pour furnace today pouring some slip sinker weights until my molds come in and have to say it's a nice little pot. I made up about 200 weights that should last me awhile. It leaked some but that can be adjusted with a screw driver. So I have this bad habit of getting online looking around at all the different makes and model equipment and found a Lee Pro 20 lb bottom pour in stock and ordered one, now I'm doing the waiting game for the ups man to come. I read all the reviews on this unit and almost everyone gave 5 stars.

What would some of the pro and cons be for this machine or other bottom pour ones be.

Ron

[docone31]

Ron,
I have one. I love it. It does everything I need it to.
Most important, make your ingots in another pot. That is the best way to keep the pot from becoming a Drip-O-Matic.
When I shut down, I turn the valve rod. At most, at start up, I get one very small drip.
Keep it clean, crank it up for casting. I keep Kitty litter on the top of the melt and store it that way.
I have had my pot for years. I even made a nose cap for my Hawken with it. I took 25grit sandpaper, molded it around the outside of the stock at the nosecap cavity. I poured it full, and sanded to shape.
Lead is not a good nosecap. Came out well though.
If you ordered that mold, you are going to enjoy the results, if, you keep it clean.

[JW6108]

Docone hit it pretty well there.

My Pro 20 dripped a little when I first got it, but not so much any more. You can adjust the opening to minimize this, but a little dripping now and then is not something to get too excited about; let your ingot mold sit on the bottom plate under the spout and it catches drips and some of your spills. I also leave about 1/4" of whatever I am working with in the bottom of the pot when done; this prevents impurities from lodging in the opening, which I think is where a lot of folks get the dripping problem. That small an amount is not going to make any difference in batches from one to the next, considering a pot full is about 17 pounds. I think you are really going to enjoy it.

[snaggdit]

I lile my Lee 20 bottom pour as well. I get drips somethimes as well, but just use my gerber to return them to the pot as they happen. I could avoid them more if I didn't run the pot dry, but I usually only cast 3-5 muffins at a time and switch to WW + lino sometimes for my 30-06 and SKS.

[dromia]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=645810

I browered my cousin's Lee 10 lb bottom pour furnace today pouring some slip sinker weights until my molds come in and have to say it's a nice little pot. I made up about 200 weights that should last me awhile. It leaked some but that can be adjusted with a screw driver. So I have this bad habit of getting online looking around at all the different makes and model equipment and found a Lee Pro 20 lb bottom pour in stock and ordered one, now I'm doing the waiting game for the ups man to come. I read all the reviews on this unit and almost everyone gave 5 stars.

What would some of the pro and cons be for this machine or other bottom pour ones be.

Ron

Do a search there is a lot of previous discussion on this, in fact there is a thread running in Casting and Reloading Hand Tools (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=39) forum on this subject now.

My view is the Lee melts lead and you can cast boolits from them and is a good buy if you can't afford a better pot or you like fettling things.

Plugging up the hole and removing the bottom pour mechanisn makes them into an OK dipping pot, thats what I've done with mine.

Like most things you get what you pay for.

[Recluse]

My Lee Pro 4 20 doesn't drip any more than my RCBS Pro Melt. Long as I keep it more than halfway full, it keeps the alloy at the same and constant temp.

Is it built as stout as the RCBS? Nope. Can I buy four Lee pots for the price of the RCBS pot. Yep. And since I've been running this one Lee pot for about six years--casting at least once a week, if not more--and it is still running strong, I have zero qualms with it.

Don't get me wrong. I love the RCBS, too. I like the Lyman pots. I'm a bottom-pour guy. I only ladle pour enough to stay proficient, but don't enjoy it.

Maybe I just get lucky with some of the Lee stuff, but I don't seem to have the problems that so many others do. I've had more trouble with the new Lyman and Hornady stuff in just the past three years than I ever have had with Lee stuff in the past twenty-five, or RCBS in the past thirty.

:coffee:

[NuJudge]

I've had a Lee 20-pound bottom pour for something like 20 years. It drips occasionally, but it has lasted well longer than the Lyman 20-pound furnace that preceded it.

CDD

[Ole]

I got my Lee Pro IV 20 today. Ordered it from Midway. I used it to make about 16lbs worth of .44 boolits.

I like it. With my old Lee 4lb/dipper setup, I used to struggle constantly to keep my 6 cavity Lee/Ranch dog .44 mould hot. With this thing, I have to stop periodically to keep from getting sprue swipes. It's nice to not have to cast in a hurry to try to keep your mold warm.

:)

[Rockchucker]

Well mine came in the other day and so far I've emptied it twice full of lead and have to say, That's a lot of boolits my friend. It did drip some at the beginning but after adjusting it somewhat it pours like a dream.

[wilddog45]

Ive used one for the last 15yrs or more and just got another one when they were on sale at midway. Great deal for the money!!

[22lover]

I just bought one and have been using it a few days. I love it so far. Mine has dripped a tiny bit but it is easily managable by a quick turn of a screw. It heats things up really quickly. The advertised 20 minutes for 20 lbs is accurate in my limited experience. From advice on this board, I've cranked mine to the max and it pours some fine boolits.

I don't recommend casting in darkness, but I had to do a power switchover and while doing so I noticed that the lead (on high setting) was actually an orangish molten color similar to lava. Set up a box fan or similar to carry the draft away from you, wear leather gloves and long sleeves/pants at the minimum!

Really enjoying this new hobby! I'm anxiously waiting for some Lee Liquid Alox to dry on some 102 gr. 380 slugs right now!

[ghh3rd]

I've had mine about a month and love the way it works. It does drip a little, but I don't bother trying to stop it - i just pick up the hardened pile of drips and drop them back into the pot occasionally.

I let mine get the orange glow on the high setting once, but have always backed off to a setting of 6 1/2 - 7, and get great boolits.

Leather work gloves are a great thing to use when casting -- they will protect you while allowing you to move hot stuff around with ease.

Randy